Zachariah Hansen, assistant professor and Extension specialist in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, collaborated with colleagues within the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture to publish a sample budget for large-scale commercial bell pepper operations. To view the sample budget, visit https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/W831.pdf.
Professor Rebecca Trout Fryxell published an article entitled “Diversifying the Halls of a Middle School Science Wing”. The article discusses how images of scientists can shift student perceptions of who a scientist is and what a scientist does. To read the full article, visit https://academic.oup.com/ae/diversifying-the-halls-of-a-middle-school-science-wing.
East Tennessee is burdened by mosquito-borne La Crosse virus disease, but minimal resources for mosquito surveillance, management, or related community education exist in the region. To address these needs, we developed a program to train middle and high school educators in basic medical entomology. The educators then used their skills in the classroom to teach students about La Crosse virus disease and conduct mosquito collection experiments. As a case study of a potential application of classroom-collected data, we also partnered with a local non-profit organization to assess the potential for a volunteer litter cleanup to reduce mosquito populations in a Tennessee neighborhood. To learn more about community efforts to monitor and manage Aedes mosquitoes in east Tennessee, visit
Zachariah Hansen, assistant professor and Extension specialist in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, collaborated with colleagues within the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture to publish a sample budget for small-scale commercial tomato operations. To view the sample budget, visit https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/W1125.pdf.
Soybean farmers rely on a combination of cultural practices, variety resistance and fungicides to manage diseases. Heather Kelly, professor and Extension specialist with the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, leads research to provide farmers the information they need to effectively use these tools. “We’ve developed and adapted our sentinel plot program to monitor soybean diseases and the pathogens’ sensitivity to common fungicides,” she says. “We also screen soybean varieties to understand their levels of disease resistance and fungicide efficacy to equip farmers to make sound management decisions.” The Tennessee Soybean Promotion Board invests checkoff dollars in supporting Kelly’s research. Each year, she works with county Extension agents and farmers to monitor 10 to 12 sentinel plots in
Entomology and Plant Pathology researchers have published the 2023 Insect Control Recommendations for Field Crops. The publication details insect control recommendations for cotton, soybean, field corn, sorghum, wheat and pasture. To view the publication, visit https://extension.tennessee.edu/insect-control-recommendations.
The Common Ground, a newsletter of the Senior Vice Chancellor and Senior Vice President of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, featured members of a task force aimed to serve veterans. The task force all began with associate professor Denita Hadziabdic Guerry. Hadziabdic Guerry operates a fungal pathogen research lab. As an advocate for providing undergraduates with research opportunities, Casey Richards, a Marine student veteran in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, joined the lab as an undergraduate research assistant. As Richards neared graduation, he recommended two veteran students, Ivan Perez and Justin Kosiewska, to the research lab. “Opportunities for veterans to have secure jobs or steady income can be limited. A challenge facing former service members
Corey Day was selected as a 2022 Entomological Society of America (ESA) Science Policy Fellow. The Science Policy Fellows program is a two-year program that provides entomologists with the necessary skills to efficiently and effectively advocate for their discipline. Day researches the spatial epidemiology of La Crosse virus disease. “I am so grateful for this opportunity! I can’t wait to meet the other Fellows and begin training to serve as an advocate for entomology,” Day said. ESA is a not-for-profit scientific organization that serves the needs of entomologists and individuals in related disciplines worldwide. Each year, the organization selects five individuals for the program. To learn more about ESA, visit https://entsoc.org. Congratulations, Corey!
More than 1,600 people attended the Butterfly Festival at the UT Arboretum in Oak Ridge on Saturday, September 17, 2022! Guests viewed insects at the UT Insect Zoo, viewed butterflies, and participated in art activities. For more information about the 2022 Butterfly Festival, visit https://utarboretum.tennessee.edu/butterfly-festival/.
Karen Vail, Professor and Extension Specialist, spoke to WBIR News Channel on fire ants in Tennessee. To view the WBIR interview, visit https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/tennessee-fire-ants/. For more information on fire ants, visit https://epp.tennessee.edu/urban-ipm/.